The Hull Times

View Original

HRA’s discussion of development goals in Urban Renewal Plan continues

The Hull Redevelopment Authority will hold another working session on Monday, August 26 to discuss what should be included in the draft Urban Renewal Plan that will guide the future use of its 13-acre property.

DEVELOPING THE FUTURE. A crowd of residents filled the Exhibition Room at Hull High School on August 12 to hear members of the Hull Redevelopment Authority discuss their ideas for the future of the 13-acre HRA property. The facilitated discussion will continue on Monday, August 26. [Skip Tull photo]

Like its most recent meeting on August 12, Monday’s meeting at Hull High School will be facilitated by University of Massachusetts-Boston professor Douglas Thompson and is not designed for public comments on the plan, according to the authority’s chair.

Click here for the draft Urban Renewal Plan and other HRA documents

“This meeting is a working meeting dedicated to affording the members of the HRA and opportunity to have a robust conversation, within the guidelines of the Open Meeting Law, open to the public’s observation and listening, but absent any feedback, comment, or responses from the public audience, either in person or via Zoom,” Chair Dennis Zaia explained.

Thompson also will be invited back in the fall for at least two additional meetings, Zaia said.

At the August 12 meeting, Thompson started the process of reviewing the existing Urban Renewal Plan and asked each of the five HRA members to consider whether the current goals should be retained, deleted, or modified. Although no formal decisions were made, three authority members said they favored removing housing from the list of development goals.

At Monday’s meeting, Thompson will help members “work through the differences” in their perspectives on the future uses of the property, which stretches from the beach to the bay between Water Street and Phipps Street.

Zaia said the public is invited to attend in person or over the Zoom platform to hear the discussion. The URP will be the only business item on the HRA’s meeting agenda.

The meeting will be recorded by Hull Community Television and available to view on the local cable channels, as well as on demand on hulltv.net.

Like what you’re reading? Stay informed with a Hull Times subscription by clicking here.

Do you have an opinion to share? Click here to write a Letter to the Editor.